Tag Archives: BBC World Service

BBC News on the long-term survival of shortwave radio

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Alex, who shares this essential listening: an audio report aired at 17:45 GMT today by Lucy Burton of the BBC World Service.

In this report, Burton discusses the future (or lack thereof) of shortwave radio. Burton interviews staff at Radio Romania International and even Glenn Hauser. To listen, just click:

listen to ‘The long term survival of short wave radio’ on Audioboo

The report reminds me that shortwave radio is often viewed as only legacy technology, when, in fact, shortwave has many advantages over digital options and is as relevant as ever.

This photo was taken in South Sudan, after Ears To Our World distributed radios in this rural community for the fourth year running. This photo was taken prior to the outbreak of violence the country is currently enduring. Can you imagine the power of information each radio can provide to its community?

This photo was taken in rural South Sudan, after Ears To Our World had distributed hundreds of radios via our partner Project Education South Sudan. This photo was taken prior to the recent outbreak of violence the country is currently enduring. Can you imagine the power of information just one radio can provide to a community during these turbulent times?

As I’ve mentioned before, Gareth Mitchell once interviewed me for the BBC World Service technology program Click. Mitchell’s interview focused specifically on my non-profit, Ears To Our World, which uses self-powered shortwave radios to further its mission. His description of our radios during his introduction was as insightful as it was humorous:

“…Portable battery powered devices that can stream audio in real time all via an intuitive touch interface.”

Aptly put. Shortwave radio, after all, has several profound benefits over the Internet, the three most significant being: 1) radio has no regard for national borders, and crosses them effortlessly; 2) listeners retain anonymity (thus cannot be readily tracked nor penalized by repressive authorities); and 3) radio requires no apps nor subscriptions to work. Nor even, for that matter, a power grid. It’s “just” an inexpensive “battery powered device” that can bring listeners vital lifesaving information, and, well…the world.

In short, I continue to stand by what I reported to UNESCO last year:

This post joins our popular tag: Why Shortwave Radio?

Concerns about the BBC World Service after reorganization

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Jonathan Marks of the weblog Critical Distance writes:

Bumped into an interesting document on the voice of the listener and viewer site in the UK.

They seem to be concerned that BBC will reorganise so that BBC World Service won’t get representation high enough in the organisation. I have heard it said that this was a problem during the days of Sam Younger 1994-1998. BBC World Service will need a powerful voice to show its value. The licence fee is a continuous debate in the UK. But it surprises me that BBC WS doesn’t really have an organised listener foundation like the VLV. Those resident in the UK are not the target audience for the BBC WS.

http://criticaldistance.blogspot.nl/2013/12/who-will-speak-up-for-bbc-world-service.html

Thank you, Jonathan. Indeed, I often wonder if RCI would have been struck so hard by (CBC) cuts if the international broadcaster had a strong leader; one who looked to innovate and adapt.

Jonathan Marks remembers the opening of the BBC Seychelles relay site

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Jonathan Marks

In response to the announcement of the closure of the BBC Seychelles relay, Jonathan Marks writes:

“You might like to revisit this old Media Network when we spoke about the opening of the Seychelles site.

http://jonathanmarks.libsyn.com/mn-29-09-1988-blackpool-offshore-radio-“

Jonathan, I’m glad you shared this recording as it’s also chock-full of radio nostalgia: covering offshore radio ships, numbers stations, BBC Radio 1’s move to FM, AFRTS closure (via US VOA relays), and even an interview with Alan Weiner.

Readers, if you enjoy listening to these archived broadcasts as much as I do, then I encourage you to check out Jonathan’s Media Network Vintage Vault.

Many thanks, Jonathan!

BBC announces closure of Seychelles relay station

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BBC Seychelles Relay Station (Photo: Vijay.sc)

(Source: BBC Media Centre via Rob Wagner)

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced today that the Indian Ocean Relay Station (IORS) transmitter site at Grand Anse, Mahé, will cease all shortwave transmissions on 29 March 2014.

The site was established in 1988 and has been in continuous service since then, relaying BBC broadcasts to audiences in East Africa primarily in English and Somali.

The closure will not affect the availability of BBC World Service programmes in Seychelles, which are relayed from satellite broadcasts on to local FM frequencies 106.2, 105.6 and 105.2MHz. In areas of East Africa still dependent upon shortwave broadcasts, the signal will be supplied by other relay stations. The announcement follows an earlier decision to stop all shortwave broadcasts from the BBC World Service site in Cyprus for similar commercial, technological and audience reach reasons. These ended in March of this year.

The announcement will unfortunately result in 11 staff being put at risk of redundancy. The staff over the last 25 years have operated and maintained this shortwave broadcast facility with passion, expertise and professionalism. The technical ability and commitment of the team at the IORS has been applauded by the BBC World Service.

The decision to close the site has been taken due to changing commercial and technological circumstances. As countries develop and their media markets open, listening and viewing habits have changed. New technology has changed the way audiences listen to BBC programmes and reduced the importance of shortwave broadcasts in much of the area currently served by the IORS, making the IORS commercially unviable.

The BBC is supporting the development of new delivery platforms such as internet and mobile streaming as well as FM radio and TV broadcasts. Shortwave broadcasts continue to regions and markets where listening remains strong and BBC services can be delivered efficiently to large geographic areas.

In the wake of disaster, BBC World Service extends shortwave service to Philippines

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Typhoon Haiyan aftermath (Source: VOA News)

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Alex, who writes:

The Philippines disaster has prompted the BBC World Service to put on a short wave service to the Philippines.

[The BBC notes:]

“We have extended the hours until next Tuesday to give a longer run in the evening, so on SW the following hours are heard.

09:00 – 11:00 GMT
11825 kHz – 25 Metre Band
12010 kHz – 25 Metre Band
17790 kHz – 16 Metre Band

There is also existing SW which is not necessarily targeting the Philippines but which they should be able to pick up as follows:

11:00 – 15:00 GMT
6195 kHz – 49 Metre Band
9740 kHz – 31 Metre Band

00:00 – 02:00 GMT
6195 kHz – 49 Metre Band
9740 kHz – 31 Metre Band
11955 kHz – 25 Metre Band

[UPDATE: Frequencies and times have been updated as of 15:30 UTC, November 13, 2013]

In Alex’s message he also noted that the info from the BBC is presently a bit vague. He will keep us updated as he receives more information.

BBC World Service Radio Archive: how you can help

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The BBC World Service Radio Archive (Prototype) contains over 50,000 digital recordings, spanning 45 years of the World Service; indeed, more than the BBC can tag and categorize by hand. Read below to learn how you can create a login with the archive, browse, listen to and tag recordings if you wish.

(Source: BBC Research and Development)

BBC Research & Development is running an experiment with the BBC’s World Service radioarchive to demonstrate how to put large media archives online using a combination of algorithms and people. With your help we aim to comprehensively and accurately tag this collection of BBC programmes.

This prototype website includes over 50,000 English-language radio programmes from the BBC World Service radio archive spanning the past 45 years, which have all been categorised by a machine. You can explore the archive, listen to the programmes and help improve it by validating and adding tags.

[Click here for more details…]

Many thanks to Mike Barraclough for the tip!

The BBC launches a new, interactive news program

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Ros Atkins, host of Outside Source (Photo: BBC Media Centre)

See full press release below–many thanks to Richard Cuff for the tip:

(Source: BBC Media Center)

The BBC has today announced development of a brand new news programme, Outside Source, hosted by Ros Atkins, to be broadcast across its international platforms – BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC.com.

This innovative new show will link the BBC’s global network of journalists with a worldwide audience using the latest in broadcast technology.

Broadcasting live from the BBC’s new state-of-the-art newsroom in the redeveloped Broadcasting House, London, the programme is launching initially on World Service Radio. It is then planned to develop the format to provide audiences with a fully integrated web, radio and TV experience.

Outside Source aims to open up the news process, enabling people to discover the latest on the stories that matter to them. An hour-long World Service Radio show is the first element of the pan-Global News format to be brought to air. Outside Source will be broadcast weekdays between 11am and 12pm GMT.

The programme will then be developed to include an online element, encouraging audiences to share their knowledge and experience of that day’s stories, no matter where they are in the world, via social media.

The online roll-out will be followed by the TV offering, due early in 2014 – a half-hour programme on BBC World News, the BBC’s international 24-hour television news channel – broadcast in the early evening GMT.

Using the latest technology means, Ros won’t be tied to a studio for the live broadcasts. He’ll be moving around Broadcasting House so listeners are getting the latest information on stories from our reporters, whether they are in one of the 27 language services or part of the BBC’s team of correspondents. Plus there will be ample opportunity for the audience to comment and add insight about stories happening where they are.

Sharing the ethos behind Outside Source, Editor Mark Sandell comments: “Outside Source is an exercise in open journalism. It aims to open up the news process and involve the audience in understanding the news. It will be technologically advanced and ambitious but also transparent and accessible. We want it to be ‘in the moment’ as we and the audience are discovering the news.”

Introducing the new programme, Ros Atkins says: “We are all incredibly excited about the new show. Such an innovative programme is only possible because of our new facilities here at Broadcasting House. While our starting point will be the expertise we have in the building, such as our language services and our bureaux teams, we’ll also be using social media and story communities to complement what we are discovering and to find out what our audience is making of the news. Outside Source will show we really are the world’s newsroom.”

Outside Source will launch first on BBC World Service on Monday 28 October at 11am GMT weekday mornings.